SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Gov. JB Pritzker signed a monumental bill into law Friday to automatically seal records for people convicted of nonviolent felonies. Democrats have spent years working on the Clean Slate Act with grassroots advocates and law enforcement.
This law will allow felony convictions currently eligible for expungement to be automatically sealed by a circuit court judge or the Illinois State Police in 2029.Â
Illinois House Assistant Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) was inspired to work on a clean slate policy after hosting multiple expungement summits in Peoria.
"I've watched individuals take more than a year to get to a place when they start the process and get to the end of it," Gordon-Booth told WAND News last year. "Many people lose faith that things can actually change for them."
Lawmakers passed legislation in 2017 to allow certain offenders with nonviolent felony convictions to apply for expungement, but each of the state's 102 counties has addressed the record sealing process differently.
Sponsors believe it is past time for a streamlined process to open doors for job opportunities and housing.
"This law isn't about charity. It's not about forgiveness," Gordon-Booth said Friday. "This is about justice. This is about redemption."
Many Republicans oppose the idea because they believe records should be unsealed for the public to know someone's criminal history.
"There are obvious issues here with public safety," said Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield). "There are obviously issues here that should have been left in our laws that are taken out that would've helped to rehabilitate people."
Serious crimes like murder, sex offenses, human trafficking, Class X felonies, DUI and domestic violence will be excluded from automatic sealing.
Law enforcement, prosecutors and courts will retain complete access to records, and employers regulated by state and federal law can access sealed records through State Police background checks.
"We have been very deliberate in balancing redemption with public safety because both are essential to thriving communities," said Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago). "Illinois now joins 12 other states and the District of Columbia in recognizing that accountability should be followed by opportunity."
The estimated cost of this transition is $20 million over five years. However, state leaders said the law could generate $4.7 billion for the Illinois economy by cutting red tape and helping around two million people with nonviolent criminal records get jobs.
"This bipartisan legislation is about empowering eligible people who seek a second chance to make their own choices about their future, giving them the best opportunity to come back home and get themselves on the right path," Pritzker said.Â
House Bill 1836 passed out of the House on an 80-26 vote and received a 39-17 vote in the Senate.Â
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